


Golden Days

by transmasc_jamestkirk



Category: Hawaii Five-0 (2010), Leverage
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Crossover, Don't copy to another site, Getting Together, M/M, Torture
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-24
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2020-03-13 10:11:27
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 9
Words: 11,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18938839
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/transmasc_jamestkirk/pseuds/transmasc_jamestkirk
Summary: Eliot Spencer and the Leverage crew head to Hawaii for some much-needed relaxation, but in typical Leverage fashion end up getting roped into a plot to take down a faction of the Yakuza and a corrupt mayor.Adam Noshimuri and the 5-0 task force are prepared for anything but the Leverage team busting into their office and dropping a bombshell on them.Of course things get a little out of control.





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

> This all started back in December from a conversation with Aidan (I love you!) and I have FINALLY finished it!! It's the crossover everyone needs but nobody asked for. Adam and Eliot would be a cute couple okay? I hope you enjoy this and don't forget to check the notes of each chapter for trigger warnings. 
> 
> Ch.1 is mostly exposition so just stay with me!

“Ah yes! Smell that sweet Hawaiian air!” Hardison exclaimed as they stepped off the plane.

“I never thought I’d hear a time where you were actually excited about fresh air.”

“Ha ha, very funny Eliot. You would be excited too if you just spent the last two weeks in a cramped van eating nothing but takeout while smelling God-knows what.”

“Wow, that must have been _so_ hard for you. I dislocated my shoulder, got stabbed, and nearly got shot!”

“Well, you’re fine now! Besides, you take getting injured very lightly.”

“Oh, I’ll show you injured-“

“Boys! Knock it off. We’re here to relax. A month of no jobs, no smelly vans, and no stabbing.” Interjected Parker as they were grabbing their luggage.

The last job was a rough one where things didn’t go as planned and things cut a little too close for comfort- sometimes literally. The three decided that they deserved a vacation, and Hawaii was the destination. Eliot was actually excited for this vacation. The last job had been hard- harder than he’d let on to Parker and Hardison- and he was ready to relax in the sun for a while. Doesn’t mean he would make it easy on Hardison though.

\--

“Holy shit, this is our hotel?” Eliot was in awe as he stared up at their hotel. It was _massive_ and probably more expensive than anything Eliot owned. Well, besides maybe his Challenger.

“Hey man, I only get the best, you know that.”

“Parker, please kiss this man so I don’t have to.” Parker grinned and did as she was told.

“Okay damn, if that’s what I get for the outside of the hotel, just wait until you see our rooms.”

Eliot just shook his head and grinned.

True to Hardison’s word, the room did not disappoint. It was a massive suite on the top floor with three separate bedrooms. Individual rooms were quickly claimed, and Eliot couldn’t keep shock at bay. He had worked jobs in some fancy places, but he never got to stay somewhere _this_ nice. Parker was giddy as she stood on their balcony that overlooked the beach. Hardison couldn’t help but smile at the joy on their faces.

“Hey, I vote we head down to the beach! We still have plenty of time until our dinner reservation.”

Not even ten minutes later they were all gathered down on the beach, staring out at the water.

“Hey Hardison, bet I can beat you to the ocean!” Eliot teased.

“Oh really? You’re on.” He responded just as they noticed Parker bolt towards the ocean.

Shouting over her shoulder with a grin Parker responded, “I’m gonna beat you both!”

As promised, Parker beat them both to the waves, but her celebration was short lived as Eliot grabbed her by the legs and dunked her under the water. Spluttering as she surfaced, Parker quickly enacted her revenge. After sharing a brief look with Hardison she jumped on to Eliot’s back and clung as Hardison went down and pulled his legs out from under him. As the three of them came back up, a splash war soon emerged.

“What are you, five? A splash war?” Eliot grumbled as a splash from Parker nailed him right in the face.

Hardison responded with a taunt, “What, is the great Eliot Spencer afraid he’s gonna lose a little splash war?”

“Oh no, I just didn’t want to beat you so bad that you moped the rest of the trip.”

“Mope? If anyone mopes it’s you.”

“I think I’m gonna beat both of you.” Parker stated.

“Okay, well I think we can both agree that is not going to happen.”

“Wanna bet?”

They were acting like children, but honestly Eliot couldn’t care less. It was nice to finally just let loose and have fun without worrying about the job.

Later on they were cleaned up and headed to dinner at a fancy restaurant and Eliot was _super_ excited. He had only read about this chef, and it was probably a once in a life time opportunity to eat at her restaurant _in Hawaii_.  Hardison kept grouching about the water up his nose, though. Parker was maintaining that she won the splash war, Hardison was just complaining about all the salt in his sinuses, and Eliot was decidedly staying out of it. Though it was unanimously decided that Hardison had definitely lost, and this somehow turned into Eliot paying for dinner. Much to his chagrin (but not surprise), Parker and Hardison took full advantage of this fact.

“I still can’t believe you two ordered the most expensive things on the menu!” He complained as they were walking back to their hotel.

“Hey, you would have done the same thing.” Hardison replied.

Eliot just shook his head, and the walk continued in a companionable silence until a woman came up to Parker. She seemed small, unassuming, and very nervous. Eliot’s guard immediately shot up.

“Um, excuse me. Sorry to bother you, but are you Parker?” She asked timidly. The woman kept shooting glances around them, and she seemed ready to bolt at any moment.

Casting a look to her companions, Parker responded, “Uh yeah. Can I help you with something?”

“I’m really sorry to bother you, but I need your help. My name is Naomi Kalani. You did a job for my sister Jasmine a couple months ago in Oregon?”

Jasmine Kalani, a museum curator for a museum in Portland. Had caught her boss stealing artifacts and replacing them with forgeries, just for the money. They posed as black-market dealers interested in some of the artifacts and took him down, returning all the artifacts and giving the extra money to Jasmine to improve the museums visitor outreach programs. Few complications, but pretty simple at the end of the day.

“Oh yeah! Her boss was stealing artifacts from the museum she worked at, right?”

“Yeah. The situation I need help with is a lot more… serious, though.”

They invited Naomi back to their hotel, keeping a careful eye out for any potential danger. Something about this case just didn’t sit right with Eliot.  

Once they were settled back in their room and he had fixed her a cup of tea, Naomi began to explain.

“I’m the personal assistant for the mayor of Honolulu, Vincent Palakiko. I think he’s involved with some really, really bad things.” Naomi paused to sip from her cup.

“What kind of bad things?” Eliot asked.

“Well, he’s been working really closely with the Yakuza. They’ve gone much more underground in the last few years, but they’re still active on the island. He takes orders from them, and doesn’t crack down on their crime like he promised during his campaign. I know he’s taking money from them, and I think he’s helping them smuggle drugs and weapons onto the island, then making innocent people take the fall. Last week my neighbor Sandra was arrested in connection with one of the drug smuggling cases. She would _never_ do something like that! There’s no way there was any solid evidence either, the mayor has got to be paying people off.”

“And you haven’t spoken up because you know the Yakuza would kill you.” Eliot responded grimly.

“Yes. You guys are my only hope, please help me and the good people of Honolulu.”

“We will.” Parker stated.

After Naomi left, Hardison put his head in his hands.

“The Yakuza? Are you kidding me?! We were supposed to be on vacation, and now the three of us are supposed to take down somebody working for the damn _Yakuza_?!”

“I know! I just couldn’t say no. We help people, that’s what we do! We can do this!” Parker replied heatedly.

After a tense silence, Eliot spoke up.

“You guys are going to hate this, but I think I know somebody who can help us.”


	2. Chapter Two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Leverage crew and 5-0 task force begin to plan out how exactly they're going to manage to take down the Yakuza and the mayor.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Things are about to start picking up! Stay tuned.

“The police? Are you joking?! The last time we worked with an old friend of yours, he arrested us, you got shot twice, and we had to stop a dirty bomb from going off in D.C!”

Suffice to say, his partners were not thrilled when he suggested that they go to the Five-0 task force for help.

“Alec! Would you just shut up for a second?” Hardison’s mouth snapped shut mid-rant. “Steve isn’t regular police. He used to be a Navy Seal- we worked together a couple times when I was in Black Ops. He’s the head of 5-0, and they have immunity and means from the governor. Steve is an honest man, and he _will_ help us.”

Parker was definitely not excited about working with the police, but she knew that they needed help, and if Eliot trusted this Steve guy that was good enough for her.

 “There is one problem though.”

“What is it?”

“We have to walk into a police station without immediately getting arrested.”

\--

It took some fake I.Ds and fancy footwork, but the three did manage to make it into the police station and up to the 5-0 office without getting arrested. They paused outside the door before taking a deep breath and heading into the office. What was about to happen in that office could easily change the rest of their lives.

“Woah woah, who are you?” A blond man asked, stepping in front of the trio with his arms out.

Ignoring the question, Eliot spoke. “We need to talk to Steve McGarrett.”

“Look man, I don’t know who you are, but you can’t just walk in here and demand to talk to somebody.” Jersey accent, definitely not from the area.

Shoving past, Eliot spoke once again. “I need to talk to Commander McGarrett, it’s urgent.”

“Buddy, if you do not tell me who you are, I _will_ arrest you.” This guy was one stubborn man.

“Will you just get Commander McGarrett? We don’t have time to waste.” Parker retorted.

“Wasted time? Oh, I’ll show you wasted time-“

“Danny, what’s going on out here?” Steve had a puzzled look on his face as he came out of his office.

“These three just waltzed on in here and demanded to speak to-“

“Spencer?” The blond guy- Danny, apparently- just threw his hands up in resignation.

“Of course you know him!”

Ignoring his partner, Steve stuck his hand out.

“Sergeant Spencer! It’s good to see you again, how has life worked out for you?”

Eliot shook his hand. “Sorry Commander, but we need to talk business.”

A concerned look flitted across Steve’s face as he led them to his office. He knew if Eliot was coming to him for help it was serious. He wasn’t clueless on what he had been up to over the years.  

“What can I help you with?” He asked, leaning against his desk.

“Have you been investigating the mayor of Honolulu at all?”

Steve paused for a moment, his eyebrows scrunched together.

“Mayor Palakiko? I think he was looked at briefly in connection with a drug case, but was cleared and they got a clean arrest on some woman. Why?”

“We’ve got some intel that he’s in bed with the Yakuza- drugs, weapons, money laundering, that kind of thing. He’s framing innocent people to take the fall.”

“Shit,” Steve rubbed a hand over his face, “you sure this is good intel?”

Parker spoke up. “Yes. Assistant of the mayor.”

Steve sighed. “Alright, let’s brief my team and come up with a strategy.”

 _This is gonna be good,_ Eliot thought as they walked out to the main area again.

Steve gathered his team and they assembled around the table with Steve, Eliot, Parker, and Hardison at the front.

“Alright team, we’ve got some big information here. This is Sergeant Eliot Spencer,” a nod “Alec Hardison,” a little wave “and Parker.” A cheerful smile and wave. “And this is my team: Detective Danny Williams, Captain Lou Grover, Special Consultant Jerry Ortega, Officer Tani Rey, Officer Junior Reigns, and Adam Noshimuri. Folks, these three come into some big intel about Mayor Palakiko.”

“Wait, wait. _The_ Eliot Spencer, Alec Hardison, and Parker? Shouldn’t we be like, arresting them?” Tani asked.   

“Arrest them? Hell no, if anything I want their autographs!” Jerry exclaimed.

\--

Adam watched as a man with long hair and a body of solid muscle, a tall black guy who kept messing with his phone, and a small blonde woman with sharp eyes walked into the headquarters. Danny tried to stop them, but they were clearly not taking no for an answer, and Adam was about to go see what was going on when Steve came out of his office. He had a feeling that whatever was about to happen was not going to be good.

Adam was watching Steve through his office as he talked to this trio, and from the look on Steve’s face it was… not going well.

As Steve and the crew left his office Danny was already rounding up the team for a briefing. Steve was introducing them, but Adam’s focus was only on Mr. Long-hair- there was something about that guy that just didn’t sit right with him.

Eliot Spencer, Alec Hardison, and Parker. Why did these names sound familiar?

Adam clearly wasn’t the only one who recognized these names as Tani and Jerry started arguing about whether to arrest them or get their autographs. He honestly wasn’t sure if he wanted to know why.

As Tani and Jerry went back and forth, it suddenly hit him why he knew their names. Eliot had done some work for his dad back in the day. He had heard his dad complaining about this guy switching sides or something, but he had never seen him personally. Until then, at least. Steve’s voice brought him out of his analysis of Eliot.

“Focus, guys. Spencer and his team have got some good info on the mayor, and we can’t do this without them. We’re working together on this one.” When he had everyone’s attention again, Parker spoke up.

“Last night a woman named Naomi Kalani approached us asking for help. She works as the assistant for the mayor, and said that he’s taking money from the Yakuza, helping them smuggle drugs and weapons onto the island, and then framing innocent people- such as Naomi’s neighbor Sandra- so they take the fall.”

Steve jumped back in. “Okay, here’s how we’re going to do this: Hardison and Jerry, you two will stay here and run the mayor’s financials to confirm he’s taking money from the Yakuza, and just see what you can dig up about what he’s been up to. Adam and Eliot, you guys will be seeing what information you can get about the Yakuza’s actions recently. Parker and Tani, you’re interviewing the mayor’s assistant again. Danny, you and I will be paying one of our informants a visit to see if he knows anything about drugs and weapons coming through the docks. Junior and Lou, you two are going to go talk to Sandra, Naomi’s neighbor, at Halawa. We all good?”

Everyone nodded and murmured their assent before splitting off to complete their tasks.

Eliot and Adam had matching gut feelings that the case was going to be nothing but bad news.


	3. Chapter Three

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Planning, stakeout, the boys get close.

As he and Adam headed to Adam’s office to make a plan, Eliot was analyzing Adam. Adam Noshimuri, son of Hiro Noshimuri but did not take over the family business, instead legitimizing their businesses. Married and then divorced Officer Kono Kalakaua formerly of 5-0, then joined Steve’s team. Eliot had done some work for Hiro Noshimuri a while back, before joining Nate. Hardison had dug up all the information he could on the 5-0 taskforce before he would even consider coming in to the office. Looking Adam over, Eliot was on edge. Dressed in designer clothes, attractive and muscular with sharp eyes and no doubt a brain to match, he could easily be a threat. His aura was disarming, but Eliot knew better than to let his guard down. Men like this could be more dangerous than a trained assassin. He’d be extra careful on this case.

Nodding his thanks as Adam held the door for him, Eliot headed into Adam’s office. Practical yet comfortable with a few photos and other knickknacks of sentimental value scattered around the walls and bookshelf. His desk was clean and organized. As for the man himself, he was polite but seemed just as cautious as Eliot himself.

“Sergeant Spencer, I-“

“Eliot. I haven’t been a Sergeant in a long time.”

Adam nodded and corrected himself.

“Well Eliot, I’m going to be honest with you. I know who you are, and it seems to me that you know who I am.”  Eliot nodded grimly.

“I did some work for your dad some years back, but that’s not the business I’m in anymore. We help people.”

“I’m not the same man either. I trust that we’ll have each other’s backs then?”

Adam’s honesty was appreciated, but there was still some distrust in Eliot. You don’t make it in his line of work by trusting everyone you meet.

“Yes.”

Nodding his assent, Adam launched into what information the team had gathered on the Yakuza in the last few years. Emotions set to the side, the pair were all business as they discussed and planned what tactic would be the best way to gather intel without being immediately shot at. Going back and forth, a while later they had a plan: they’d each connect with their sources and then regroup and do a stake-out if necessary. No matter how hard they each tried, the nagging in their guts just kept getting stronger, though.

\--

Eliot was concerned. Like, actually, genuinely, concerned- and he hated it. His gut rarely lied, so he knew better than to just brush it off. Regardless of how he felt, this job needed to be done, so he called up some old contacts and pulled some favors to see what information he could find out.

Eventually he found out that the Yakuza _were_ smuggling weapons, drugs, and all sorts of other goodies on to the island, and while nobody would specifically confirm that the mayor was in on it, the implications were clear.

Adam was on a similar path. Pulling every favor he could think of, he eventually found out the same information as Eliot- confirmation the Yakuza was smuggling all sorts of goods onto the island, and the implication that the mayor was involved. Regrouping, they went over what they had learned. The Yakuza typically used fishing vessels and more private ports to get the contraband in without being discovered. Of course, they also had customs officers paid off to ensure that they wouldn’t get caught.

\--

“We need to make a plan. It looks like the information Ms. Kalani provided was true.”

Eliot sighed. “We should regroup with everyone else and see what other information they’ve got. You don’t need me to tell you what a nasty business the Yakuza is.”

Several hours later the group was reassembled around the table, and going over what they had learned. A plan was formed and Eliot and Adam were paired together for the rest of their case, much to each of their chagrins. The immediate plan was to stakeout the port through which most of the goods were being smuggled through, and as they sat in the dark in the car Eliot was growing frustrated. After a countless number of sighs from Eliot, Adam snapped.

“Look, you don’t have to like me but can you please pretend to tolerate me or something?”

“I’m not gonna lie- I don’t trust you.”

“I don’t trust you either, but this seems to bother you a lot more. Did I do something to you in the past? Because I’m not that guy anymore, and I’m sorry.”

“I know. I’m not the guy I used to be either. There’s just something about this case that is giving me a bad feeling.”

Adam looked at Eliot again, softening slightly.

“I don’t like it either. I just know this is going to get worse before it gets better.”

Eliot was about to respond when movement in from of them caught his eye. There was a shadow of a man approaching them.

“Shit, We’ve been made.” Adam made a motion to put the car into gear, but Eliot stopped him.

“Wait, I’ve got this.” He looked Adam in the eye. “I need you to trust me.”

Adam just had time to nod before Eliot grabbed the front of his shirt and pulled them together.

Adam froze for a moment before relaxing against Eliot and reciprocating the kiss. Slowly, the kiss deepened and Adam wrapped his hand around the back of Eliot’s neck. A sudden rapping on the driver’s-side window startled him more than he would like to admit, and the blush on his face when he rolled down the window was real.

“Who are you?” the man asked, and Adam saw the moonlight glint off the gun on his hip.

“Oh gosh, I’m sorry man! We didn’t know there was anyone here- we’ll leave now.”

The man looked suspicious, but damn Eliot was good at looking innocent and more than a little debauched. He ducked his head and looked up through his hair, eyes wide and teeth chewing on kiss swollen lips.

“We’re real sorry, sir. My boyfriend and I just wanted a quiet place to… well, anyways- we’ll leave right now. We are really sorry about disturbing you.”

The man sighed. “Just go. Now. If I see you here again I won’t be nearly as nice.”

There was no hesitation as Adam put the car in gear and peeled out of there. The ride make to HQ was silent, but neither man was feeling relaxed.

Rubbing his face, Adam walked into their headquarters with Eliot behind him. Steve and Danny were standing at the table when the two men arrived.

“We were made. They, uh, don’t know we’re cops, but they’ve seen our faces.” Adam stated.

Nodding grimly, Steve responded. “We need to regroup and re-evaluate.”


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Eliot and Hardison have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alec Hardison is a sweetheart and Eliot Spencer deserves to be loved damnit! I just love these guys so much

The whole team’s findings confirmed everything that Eliot and Adam found out. It looked like Naomi Kalani was telling the truth, and they had to make a plan to take down the Yakuza AND the mayor. It was going to be a bastard of a case.

Adam was relieved that he wasn’t Steve as the man left to brief the governor. Trying to explain the situation was an unenviable position to be in. The sinking feeling in Adam’s stomach only grew stronger with every piece of information they uncovered, and the whole team was tense. Taking down a faction of the Yakuza was extremely difficult and dangerous; taking down a faction of the Yakuza _and_ a corrupt mayor was unprecedented.

Adam was sitting in his office contemplating the days events when a certain man entered his office.

Eliot took a seat across from Adam. “I, uh, wanted to apologize about earlier. I didn’t have time to explain my plan.”

Was the infamous Eliot Spencer actually blushing?

“It’s all good man, you had to think fast. Don’t worry about it.”

\--

Eliot was… pensive. Or, as Hardison and Parker liked to say- he was _brooding_. Whatever it was, it was annoying. There was this nagging feeling that just would not leave him alone, but he couldn’t figure out what it was. The feeling was there before the stakeout, but after the situation in at the docks it was stronger than ever. Eliot was silent as Adam drove back from the docks. Watching the dark scenery fly by, he was lost in thought.

He had acted on impulse, grabbing Adam by the collar and yanking him in for a kiss as the guard walked up on them. He was lucky the guard didn’t just immediately shoot them. Groaning inwardly, Eliot resisted the urge to hit his head on the window. What had gotten into him? Why was this case getting to him? He’d helped take down a government, committed treason, done jobs for some of the most dangerous people in the world, and so much more without even blinking an eye. Yet here he was, getting all wound up because of this fucking case.

He also felt the need to apologize, which was… new.

Adam didn’t even blink an eye when Eliot apologized, and it was frustrating. He wanted Adam to be annoyed, to get mad, to do _something_ so he would have a reason not to trust him. Instead, Adam just continued to be this perfect, charming gentleman and it was starting to get on Eliot’s nerves. He wanted to have a reason for these feelings that wouldn’t leave him alone.

As the case dragged on, Eliot was getting more and more frustrated. Well, they all were, but he was more on edge than he’d been in a long time. Days were dragging by without any leads, the whole team was getting snappy with each other, and through it all he was constantly working with Mr. Perfect.

He was about to snap.

One day, Hardison finally pulled him to the side after he had yelled at him for looking at him funny.

“Dude, what the hell has gotten in to you?”

“Nothing. Just leave me alone, Hardison.”

“Eliot, you know damn well I’m not about to do that. Is there something about this case that reminds you of your past?” He asked, concerned.

“No! Hardison, just leave me _the hell alone._ ” He ground out, turning to walk away. Hardison’s hand shot out and grabbed his arm.

“Eliot man, we are a _team_. You know that whatever we go through, we do it together.” Before Eliot could speak, he continued, “I _will_ set Parker on you if you don’t tell me what is goin’ on in that head of yours.”

Eliot sighed.

“Look, I don’t know what’s going on, okay? This case is fucking frustrating, and I constantly have this feeling that something’s gonna go wrong, and I have to spend every day working with Mr. Perfect. I just want this case to be done with.”

Hardison’s face softened. “This case is getting to everyone, Eliot. We just have to keep looking and we’ll figure something out, okay? We’ve never failed yet. Also, what’s wrong with Adam? You two seem to work really well together.”

“I know everything is going to work out, but I just can’t shake this feeling that it won’t. And with Adam, _that’s the problem._ No matter what’s goin’ on he’s always polite and understanding and there with his stupid dimples!” He retorted.

A smirk appeared on Hardison’s face.

“What?!” Eliot snapped.

“I think I know what the problem is!” He lowered his voice conspiratorially, “You have a crush on Adam, man.”

Eliot turned to walk away.

“I’m not in the mood for this.”

“Wait! Eliot, I’m serious. First of all, I know you’re bi, and I have for a long time. You just never brought it up so I didn’t mention it. Second, I know why you’re acting this way. You’ve been screwed out of a lot of love in your life, so you’ve built this wall around yourself. You refuse to let people get close so they can’t hurt you when they leave. That’s why this makes you so angry! You know that you really like being around Adam, but that feels dangerous to your brain, so you get angry and try to distance yourself, but you can’t. It’s uh, actually really obvious to anybody who knows you.”

Eliot froze with his back to Hardison, the tension visible in his shoulders.

“Alec, you can’t-“ His voice was soft.

Hardison’s voice was just as soft. “Eliot, I would never say this if I thought I was wrong. And you know that Parker and I will always be here for you. We’ll always be here to catch you if you fall. We love you man, and we just want to see you be happy.”

The tears in Eliot’s eyes as he turned around nearly shattered Hardison’s heart into a million pieces. He looked so scared and vulnerable, and Hardison would take on the entire world with his bare hands if it meant he never had to see Eliot look like that again.

“I know you and Parker will always be here. I know that. I just, I can’t talk about this, man. I can’t.”

“It’s okay. I’m not going to force you to talk about it. I just needed you to know.”

After a moment Eliot nodded and walked out of the room. Hardison ran a hand over his face. Where was Sophie when you needed her?

\--

If a freshly baked batch of Hardison’s favorite cookies were waiting on the counter when he woke up the next day, well, nobody needed to know.


	5. Chapter Five

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adam and Danny have a chat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again, I just love these guys so much. Also, I had to throw some McDanno in there bc, come on. Danny is team mom #confirmed

Adam was the first in the office the next day, and he was surprised to see Eliot walk in just a few minutes later. It was early, too early really, for anyone else to be in the office. His surprise only grew as Eliot headed towards his office with a bag in his hand.

“Hey, mind if I come in?” He asked, knocking on the door.

“Come on in man, what’s up?”

Adam watched as Eliot entered and stood awkwardly, fiddling with the bag in his hand.

“So uh, I know I’ve been a real jerk lately. It’s not your fault and I’ve been taking it out on you. So uh, here.” Eliot mumbled, thrusting the bag towards Adam.

Adam’s face split into a grin when he opened the bag.

“Fresh malasadas? You didn’t have to, but honestly I’m glad you did.”

Did Eliot just blush?

“Yeah, I know you guys really like your malasadas and I’ve had a recipe I’ve been wanting to try so I thought this might be a good way to apologize-“

“Wait,” he swallowed a mouthful, “did you just say you _made_ these?! They’re incredible!”

This man was just full of surprises, but Adam wasn’t complaining- though he was admittedly a little confused. Eliot was an enigma, but Adam was beginning to wonder if he ever wanted to solve the puzzle.

Eliot ducked his head as he blushed (okay, yeah that was _definitely_ a blush), and rubbed a hand across the back of his neck.

“I like to cook.” He responded with a shrug.

“I have a feeling that’s an understatement. Anyways, as delicious as these are, you really didn’t have to apologize. This case has been a rough one for everyone.”

\--

After Eliot left his office, Adam sat contemplatively. He was getting this feeling he couldn’t shake. He stared at the bag on his desk, and something tightened in his chest. What the hell was going on? This case was messing him up.

Heading to grab a cup of coffee, he ran into Tani.

“Hey, Adam! You look like hell, what’s up?”

“Eliot brought me homemade malasadas.”

Okay, that was really helpful Adam.

“Okay? Were they drugged or something? You’re looking kinda rough, pal.”

He sighed.

“Sorry, there’s just something about this case that’s getting to me. I just have this feeling that won’t go away, and I can’t place what it is.”

“Get some rest, Adam. And talk to Danny.” She replied, walking away with her coffee.

Puzzled, Adam was stuck in place for a moment. He was too tired for this shit.

Sighing, Adam went in search of Danny. The detective was elbow deep in paperwork when Adam knocked on the door and was relieved to have an excuse to ignore it for a while. Entering when he was quickly waved in, Adam dropped into a seat.

“Sorry to bother you-“

“No, _thank you._ I was ready to bash my head into the desk with all this paperwork.”

Adam couldn’t help but crack a grin.

“Well, anyways, can I talk to you for a minute? I just have weird feeling and Tani told me to talk to you.”

“Yeah, go ahead. What’s buggin’ ya?” Danny said, waving his hand for Adam to continue.

“To be honest, I’m not really sure how to explain it. This case just feels _weird_ and things have been strange between Eliot and I.”

“Strange how? Is everything okay? Because I never trusted that guy in the first place.”

Rolling his eyes, Adam responded. “Okay mom, its nothing like that. He actually brought me homemade malasadas this morning as an apology- which by the way were delicious. He’s just seemed on edge the last couple days, and I’m right there with him. Something’s going on but I just can’t place it.”

“This case is getting to everyone, and you’re working with someone new. It makes sense that it’s giving you a weird feeling.” Danny explained, in an effort to sooth Adam’s nerves.

“It’s more than that. We never, uh,” Adam blushed and rubbed his neck. “told you what happened at the stakeout, did we?”

Danny leaned forward in his chair.

“No, why?”

“So we’re sitting there when all of a sudden we see a guy comin’ up to us. There was a guard somewhere that we hadn’t seen. We had to think fast, and all of a sudden Eliot…”

Adam paused and Danny waved his hand impatiently.

“What’d he do?”

“He, uh, kissed me. We played it off like we were just a couple out for a dark spot to make out and luckily, he didn’t shoot us. Eliot apologized but he’s seemed a little on edge ever since. I don’t know if I made him uncomfortable somehow or what, but the last couple days have been rough for both of us.”

He rubbed his face.

“God, it sounds stupid when you say it out loud.”

There was a sudden bout of laughter and a big grin grew across Danny’s face.

“Adam, do you know the story of how Steve and I finally got together?”

He stopped to think for a moment.

“No, why?”

“Okay, so it was last year; we had been skirting some feelings for years, but we were both too chicken to make a move. It all came to a head during a rough case. It was a real bad case- I’ll spare you the details, but there were kids involved. Anyways, it was bad. We were constantly on each other’s backs about _everything_ , and it wasn’t the fun banter we usually have. We were fighting and getting in each other’s way.”

Danny paused, and Adam nodded his understanding.

“It was to the point where Lou pulled me aside one day to tell me to ‘get my head out of my ass and talk to the man’” he chuckled. “I didn’t know what he meant so I just ignored it. That night, Steve and I got into an argument. A really nasty one. We were yelling and up in each other’s faces- the whole nine yards. The next morning, I wake up to a knock on my door at a truly unholy hour. You know who’s standing there? Steven McGarrett. You know what’s in his hand? Malasadas. So he comes in and we eat malasadas and we actually _talk,_ and we’ve been good ever since.”

Adam nods once again, unable to suppress a smile at the mental image of Steve waking Danny up at 3am with a box of malasadas.

“Do you know what the moral of this story is, Adam?”

“Not really.”

“The moral of the story is that you need to talk to Eliot. I know how it can feel after you’ve been divorced, but you can’t let that stop you.”

He cocked his head to the side with an uncertain grin.

“Wait, are you implying that Eliot has a _crush_ on me?

“I’m implying that you and Eliot both have some feelings that you need to discuss. Whatever that means between you two, I don’t know.” Danny replied with a serious look.

Adam gave Danny his thanks and headed back to his office. The day was shaping up to be far too much deal with.


	6. Chapter Six

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Yakuza find out that Eliot's been sniffing a little too closely into their business.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, this chapter is intense. There's graphic torture (including: electrocution, knives, whipping, waterboarding, and good ol' physical violence) so if that makes you uncomfortable or triggers you PLEASE skip this chapter. That's really all this chapter is so you won't miss anything. Be kind to yourselves, guys

After apologizing to Adam, Eliot quickly made his retreat. He left the palace, wandering around until he found a quiet place with some rocks by the beach. Sitting on a rock, Eliot watched the waves crash onto the shore. He just needed to think.

He knew the team would probably be looking for him, but Eliot just needed some peace and quiet to try and sort through everything that had happened over the last week. Somehow going on vacation after a tough job had turned into working with the police to take down a faction of the fuckin’ Yakuza, and dealing with the one and only Adam Noshimuri.

Groaning, Eliot thought back to the conversation with Hardison. It was just too much. Hardison was right- not that he’d ever tell him that- and that was the worst part. He would never admit that he pushed people away, or that the reason was because of all of the scars he carried with him. Both mental and physical, the scars would never go away. The more he thought about it, the more he realized that Adam had gotten under his skin in a way that he hadn’t felt in a long time. It felt like a lifetime ago, the last time Eliot let someone get so close- and they hadn’t even done anything!

He really liked being around Adam, their ideas and knowledge bounced off of each other so well, and Adam was so _kind_ and _charming_ and he had those stupid _dimples._

He couldn’t let this happen.

\--

Once he was safely back in his office, Adam was doing some reflecting of his own. The morning had been… confusing, to say the least. It was frustrating, all the implications and suggestions that Tani and Danny had made without explaining themselves. It almost felt like high school all over again. They were grown-ass men, it shouldn’t be this difficult to figure out their feelings.

\--

Adam didn’t get much time to reflect as Steve suddenly rapped on his office door.

“We’ve caught a break.”

Snapping his focus back to the case at hand, Adam joined the rest of the team at the table.

“Anybody seen Eliot?” Steve asked as everyone was gathered around the table.

“Not since this morning. I’ll try giving him a call.” Adam dialed Eliot, but received no response.

Parker and Hardison shared a look before he began to type quickly on his computer. His frown quickly deepened, and the whole team was beginning to share nervous glances.

“He’s off comms and his phone is off so we can’t track him that way.”

“Shit, is there any reason that he would go AWOL like this?” Steve asked, rubbing his chin.

“No. If Eliot goes off comms like this, something is wrong.” Parker replied as she stared at Hardison’s computer.

“I can try-“ Jerry began before Hardison interrupted.

“Wait! He should still have the tracker in his shoes! I forgot to take them out after the last job.”

Hardison began typing furiously as Danny groaned.

“Remind me to never ask what exactly you guys do.”

“I got it! He’s… in the middle of the jungle?”

\--

Eliot was still sitting out by the ocean when suddenly he felt a presence come up behind him. Before he could get a chance to turn around, the presence had a rag pressed to his face.

_Chloroform_

The last thing he saw as he collapsed was his phone sitting on the rock to his left.

\--

Coming to, Eliot quickly realized three things. One: he was in a van. Two: he had been drugged. Three: Nobody knew where he was. As he sat up with a groan, Eliot tried to focus on how many turns the van was taking, but it was difficult as he couldn’t judge how long he had been unconscious. The van continued its journey for almost an hour as the terrain got rougher and rougher, and cold fear washed over Eliot as he realized they were taking him into the jungle. The Yakuza hauling you off to the middle of the jungle generally did not bode well for your safety.

Eliot took stock of what was on his body. His hands were fastened behind his back with duct-tape, but it wasn’t too difficult to get them under his legs and in front of him. Feeling for his boot, Eliot sighed when he realized that they took the knife he kept there. Looking around the van, he did not see anything sharp enough to cut through the tape. Chewing it was then.

After finally getting through the tape, Eliot flexed his wrists and felt his pockets. No phone- Eliot grimaced as he remembered it sitting on the rock on the beach. No comms, no knife, no phone- nothing but about 20 bucks cash, a pack a gum, and some hair ties on his wrist. He was going to have to get creative. Pulling his hair back into a low pony-tail, Eliot thought hard. He couldn’t tell for sure how many men were in the front, but from the muffled sounds of their voices there seemed to be two. He could take two, but it was impossible to know how many would be waiting at the destination.

As the van jerked to a stop, Eliot prepared himself. The moment the doors were yanked open, he struck. He launched himself at the men and quickly took them both down. As he turned, he felt a stabbing pain in his back and collapsed to the floor once again. God, he hated tasers.

Waking up again, Eliot quickly realized he was shirtless and tied to a metal chair. He gave an experimental wiggle and noted how tight the ropes were. It was gonna be a lot tougher to get out of.

“Mr. Spencer, nice to see you’re awake.”

Eliot growled as a man walked into the room.

“Now now, no need to be like that. I just wanted to have a conversation with you.” He watched as the man picked up a whip and slowly trailed it around Eliot’s body as he circled him.

Seriously, a whip? What was this, the 1800s?

“We’re gonna start easy on ya, but the more you refuse to cooperate, the more you are gonna regret it- we clear?”

Eliot said nothing, glaring at the man. He tried not to flinch as the first hit snapped against his chest. He could feel the blood begin to trickle.

“Oh, a tough guy huh? Well, you’re not gonna be for long. See, you have been getting a little too close to our organization lately, and a man like you knows that we can’t let that happen.”

Eliot still said nothing as several more hits landed across his chest. It hurt and there was definitely blood trickling down his chest, but it wasn’t the worse pain he’d ever endured.

“Too easy, huh? Well, let’s switch to something a little more… sharp.” The man rounded back in front of Eliot, this time with a large knife in his hand. Pressing it against the center of Eliot’s chest, he spoke.

“I need to know what information you’ve gathered about our little operation.”

“No.” The word was barely out of Eliot’s mouth before the knife pressed harder and slowly made its way down, until there was a good six inch cut running down his chest. He couldn’t hide his flinch that time.

“Ah, you felt that one. Good thing there’s more where that came from.” Slowly, the man trailed the knife up his chest and down to his left forearm before pressing down and sliding it forwards towards the hand. The cut wasn’t deep enough to cut vein, but the threat was there. The slices continued around Eliot’s arms and torso as he refused to speak. Eventually he counted upwards of 15 cuts and was panting from the pain. Finally, the man stopped again.

“Mr. Spencer you are quite the stubborn one. Now I ask again, what do you know?”

“Fuck you.” The man seemed to be tired of the knife, as he tossed it on to what Eliot imagined was a table behind him. He made a show of slowly rolling up his sleeves and Eliot knew what was happening next.

The guy certainly had a flair for the dramatic.

Eliot braced himself as the first punch connected solidly with his jaw. Before he got a chance to spit out the blood, another punch landed in his stomach, knocking the wind out of him.

Wheezing, Eliot glared up at the man.

“You’ve brought this upon yourself, Spencer. The quicker you tell us what you know, the quicker we just kill you and make this end.”

He spit blood as a response. Another punch connected with his face. And another. And another. He was trying to clear the fog out of his brain when something solid connected with his ribs, a crack audible. It was hard to tell what he was hit with, but there was definitely at least one cracked rib.

The man kept asking questions, and Eliot kept refusing to answer despite the beating he was taking. Dozing in and out of consciousness, it was hard to tell how long it had been going on. In a moment of clarity, Eliot realized that more of him was covered in blood than not. Well, at least he wasn’t wearing his favorite jeans.

\--

Eliot gasped awake as a bucket of cold water was thrown on him. He honestly had no idea how long he’d been there- just felt the pain radiating from every part of his body. Groaning, he tried to clear his mind. Willing his eyes to focus, Eliot saw the man approach him again. The next thing he felt was a hand in his hair, yanking his head back roughly. The man gave him a sadistic grin.

“You are with us once again, I see. Well, since you still refuse to cooperate, we shall continue. Remember, if you just tell us what we need to know we can kill you and just get this over with.”

“Fuck. You.” Eliot grit out, voice rough.

“Well, you can only blame yourself.”

A rag was placed over his face, and Eliot immediately knew where this was headed.

Waterboarding.

Eliot fought the urge to gasp as cold water was poured over his face. He tried to stay calm as the oxygen was deprived from his lungs. The rag was lifted and Eliot gasped a few breaths before the rag was replaced and more water was poured. The cycle continued several times and Eliot struggled to stay calm. He’d been waterboarded before, but unfortunately its not something you ever get used to.

Just as he began to wonder if he was going to drown like this, the rag was ripped from his face. Coughing and gasping, Eliot tried to get air back into his lungs. He was removed from the chair and hauled by his hair to the center of the room. He tried to fight it, but his body was too busy trying to get enough oxygen to his muscles so he could even stand. Eliot’s hands were unceremoniously fastened to a metal bar above his head and he attempted to shake the wet hair out of his face. The effort was for naught as another bucket of cold water doused his body.

He stood, shivering and wheezing, as the man approached with a metal rod. Eliot was momentarily confused before the rod was placed against his stomach and he screamed, body convulsing.

Parrilla.

Before he could even catch his breath, the rod was moved slightly and another shock coursed through his body, ripping another scream out of him. Eliot tried to keep track of time, to think of anything else, but he could focus on nothing but the shocks being applied around his body.

Eliot lost track of time, but eventually the man stopped and left the room. Eliot sagged against his restraints. His arms were practically numb and his body burned. He was going to die there.

He was still attempting to gather himself and formulate a plan when the man returned, this time wielding a cellphone. He stood in front of Eliot and held the phone up.

“Mr. Spencer here seems to be a real tough guy- you guys must miss him a lot. Shame that we’re gonna have to kill him. Say bye-bye Mr. Spencer.” The man spoke before shocking Eliot again. Eliot convulsed and screamed, hands grabbing at nothing and legs struggling to stay standing. He got one last look at the camera before the man put it away.

“I think that’s a good surprise for your friends, don’t you?”


	7. Chapter Seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team heads to the jungle in search of Eliot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There's some shooting and blood, but that's it for this chapter. The rest of this story will have no violence.

The team had spent the last few hours gathered around the table, trying to get a pin on Eliot’s location. They had it narrowed down to a couple mile radius, but the jungle was so dense that they needed an exact location before they could form an extraction plan.

Parker, Hardison, Steve, and Jerry had been huddled around the table all afternoon, desperately searching for information and trying to formulate a plan while the rest of the team ran down leads. Everyone felt sick, but there just seemed to be no new information.

Everyone was gathered around the table going over what they had learned when a video popped up on screen.

It was Eliot- shirtless and barefoot, dripping wet with arms fastened above his head to a metal bar. His body bleeding and weak from what looked like whip marks, cuts, burns, and bruises. Everyone held their breath as the man filming spoke before shocking Eliot. His scream seemed to echo throughout the office, and everyone flinched. The look in Eliot’s eyes in the last moment of the video would haunt their nightmares. His eyes were glazed- almost resigned. It was clear he knew he was going to die there.

A tear rolled down Hardison’s cheek and Adam felt like he was going to throw up. They had to get Eliot back _now_ , there were no other options.

There was a moment of silence before Steve’s face hardened and he spoke.

“Can we trace that video?”

That seemed to snap Hardison out of his stupor as he began furiously typing. His eyes were wide as he looked back up.

“I can only get it to a two mile radius in this jungle. I-I can’t find anything else. There’s nothing I can do to narrow it down…” He trailed off, looking like he was about to cry.

“Wait! There’s only a couple buildings in that radius. I think I know where he is!” Adam shouted. He regretted every moment he spent under his father in the Yakuza, but he was grateful the knowledge served useful in that moment.

Quickly, the team suited up and got a helicopter to fly them as close as they could get. They’d still have to walk about a mile but it was quicker than the two hours it would take to drive. Leaving Parker, Hardison, and Jerry to keep an eye on his GPS and make sure no new transmissions came in, the team headed out.

As they loaded into the helicopter, Adam’s heart was in his throat. He and Eliot hadn’t known each other very long, but Adam felt a connection with the man. They had to get him back. If not for his sake, then for Parker and Hardison. They were clearly shaken up, and it was obvious they weren’t used to dealing with situations like this.

\--

The helicopter landed in a clearing and Adam took a deep breath to settle his nerves. Steve looked around and everyone nodded. It was go-time.

They jumped out of the helicopter and began making their way towards the buildings- Adam and Steve leading the way. As they made their way through the thick underbrush, Adam tried to focus on his surroundings, not the sick feeling in his chest. He had to stay focused.

The team made their journey silently, only stopping when the buildings came into sight. As they stopped, Hardison’s voice filled their ears.

“Alright, so it looks like there’s two buildings being used currently. From what I can tell, Eliot’s probably in the gray one.”

Jerry jumped in, “Each building has guards for each door on the outside and then I’d say about 10 people on the inside? It’s hard to tell.”

“Affirmative.” Steve replied quietly.

“Oh, and guys? Be careful and bring our guy home.”

Adam felt his heart clench and Steve’s eyes softened.

“Yes sir.”

Steve continued, “Alright, Danny and Adam, you’re with me. We’ll take the gray building. Lou, Tani, and Junior you take the other one. Be safe and let’s get Eliot home.”

Everyone nodded and split into their groups.  Adam followed Steve as they snuck around the building. Steve held up his fist as they spotted their first guards. Creeping up behind them, Adam and Steve each put a man and a choke-hold and lowered them gently to the ground. They took their guns as Danny zip-tied their hands behind their back.

The door was thrown open by Steve, and Adam and Danny made their way in, guns raised. They made their way through the building, clearing each room. Finally, Adam was poised outside of a door where he could hear talking. Taking a deep breath, he kicked the door in.

“Five-0! Put your weapons down!”

Adam’s heart caught in his throat as he took in the scene in front of him. Eliot was still hanging in the middle of the room by his arms, bleeding and barley conscious. A man had a gun pointed at his head. The man turned to look at Adam, keeping the gun fixated at Eliot’s head. A cocky grin adorned the man’s face.

“I’m not going to ask you again. Put the gun down.”

“I should have known you guys would find a way to get your man back. Too bad you’re too late.”

He cocked the gun as Eliot looked up blearily.

\--

Listening to the raid over the comms was one of the more unpleasant things that Hardison had ever experienced, but he would have done anything to get Eliot back safely. The shooting stopped for a moment, and Adam’s voice came across loud and clear. Everyone’s breathing stopped as another man’s voice cut in.

Hardison and Parker grabbed hands as a gunshot rang out, followed by silence.

“Hey, everyone okay?”

Nothing.

“Adam, are you guys okay?”

\--

The shot was dead center in the man’s forehead, his body crumpling and gun falling to the floor. Eliot blinked as he saw Adam approaching him.

“Hey buddy, I gotcha. We’re gonna get you home.”

Pulling out his knife, Adam cut the rope binding Eliot’s wrists and caught him as he fell.

“I got him guys, I got him.”

\--

“I got him guys, I got him.”

Hardison let out a whoop and Parker cheered.

“Hell yeah! We did it!!”

Adam chuckled as he heard the cheers in his ear. Wrapping Eliot’s arm around his shoulder and his arm around Eliot’s back, Adam took most of the man’s weight as they made their way to the door. At the door they were met by Steve and Danny, with Danny quickly coming to Eliot’s other side to help carry his weight.

The quartet made their way outside, where the other three were rounding up the surviving members. A helicopter landed soon after and Danny and Adam hauled Eliot into it, everyone else staying behind to organize the transport of the Yakuza crew. As they got settled in the helicopter, Adam carefully situated Eliot’s head in his lap, making sure to keep him steady. Eliot was fighting to stay awake as they took off.

\--

Eliot could hear the gunshots ringing out sporadically throughout the building, a tiny flicker of hope building in his chest. His captor evidentially heard them as well as he pulled out a gun and pressed it to Eliot’s forehead. He took some deep breaths.

This was it. He was going to die there. Who would take care of Parker and Hardison?

As these thoughts flew through his head, the door suddenly opened with a bang.

_Adam._

Adam had a gun pointed at his captor, though Eliot still had a gun pressed against his head. He focused on watching Adam, somewhat delirious, as the two men talked.  Eliot flinched as a shot rang out and his captor crumpled to the floor in a heap. Blinking up at Adam, Eliot tried to focus. The lights spun, but it seemed as if Adam had a ring of light around his head. Like a halo. And his eyes were captivating. The brown seemed so warm and inviting, gentle as they took stock of Eliot’s injuries. Faintly, he could recognize that Adam was speaking to him, but he just let the words wash over him. He tried to stand but as Adam cut his arms loose, he collapsed forwards. The contact on Eliot’s bleeding chest was painful, but he could only focus on the warmth of Adam’s body. In some part of his mind he felt guilty as he saw the concerned faces of the 5-0 team and the blood that now adorned Adam’s shirt, but all Eliot could think about was getting out of the room.

Supported by Adam, he tried to walk but it felt like dragging his feet through concrete. Eliot was relieved as Danny came to support his other side, though every part of his body was screaming at them to stop. Finally, they made it to the helicopter. As they laid him down, Eliot felt his head being placed in Adam’s lap. Adam’s grip tightened slightly as they took to the air, doing his best to keep Eliot’s head stabilized. Gazing upwards, Eliot met Adam’s eyes. He was offered a soft smile and Eliot felt safe, allowing himself to drift into the fog. Normally, he would never allow this. Never let someone coddle him, be gentle with him, but Eliot was… different. His body burned, yet was numb. His brain was frantic, yet silent. And Adam- Adam was different too.


	8. Chapter Eight

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The crew heads to the hospital.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Talk about hospitals and Eliot's injuries. This is the last "real" chapter, the next one is just a fun little epilogue.

The flight to hospital felt like an eternity to Adam. Eliot kept drifting in and out of consciousness and he was bleeding onto Adam’s legs much more than anyone was comfortable with.

As they landed on the helipad Parker and Hardison were waiting alongside a group of nurses. Danny and Adam helped lower Eliot onto the gurney and the group followed anxiously as Eliot was whisked away. Eventually he was pushed behind a door and a man blocked the group from following. They watched with sinking stomachs as Eliot slowly disappeared from view.

Danny broke the silence after a moment, “C’mon, let’s go to the waiting room.”

As the detective ushered the other two down the hallway, Adam stood frozen, staring blankly through the doors where Eliot had been taken just moments ago.

“Adam, hey, let’s go to the waiting room.” With a nudge to his shoulder Adam was knocked out of his daze.

“Oh yeah, of course. I’m just going to wash up in the bathroom.” Even to himself, Adam knew his voice wasn’t convincing. It trembled with a force that had been gone for years. Danny gave him a look but eventually nodded, following Parker and Hardison to the waiting room.

Adam stood, staring at himself in the mirror. There was blood and dirt smeared all over his shirt. He was going to have to throw it away when he got home.

Looking down, he noticed his hands. His left was relatively clean, but the right was stained with blood. He’d had to hold right under a particularly nasty slice as he helped Eliot out of the building. After a moment Adam realized that his hands were shaking. His whole _body_ was shaking. He clenched the sink in a desperate move to stem the shaking.

“Hey Adam.” Danny’s voice startled him.

“Shit- hi Danny.”

“Sorry man, didn’t mean to startle you. You’ve been in here for like 15 minutes so I thought I’d come check on you.”

Adam shook his head and straightened up.

“Oh yeah, sorry about that. I must’ve zoned out. I’ll be out in a moment.”

Danny just shook his head and Adam knew he wasn’t fooling anyone. It was clear he was rattled.

“Adam, its okay. He’s gonna be okay.”

“You didn’t see him, Danny. The guy had a gun pressed to his head and he looked ready to die there. He barely could acknowledge I was there.”

“You got him out and that’s what matters. He’s in good hands now.”

Pressing his hands to his eyes, Adam turned around.

“I don’t understand why this is getting to me so much! We’ve seen people in brutalized in the unimaginable ways and _this_ is what gets under my skin?!”

Danny placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“Adam, listen to me. Remember our conversation? I wasn’t talking just for the fun of it. You and Eliot have feelings for each other.”

“God, Danny I feel like I’m a sixteen-year-old idiot again.”

“I did too when I realized what was going on between me and Steve. Things are complicated in our line of work, and we separate ourselves from our emotions a lot. Plus, I know how divorce changes you.” He responded with a chuckle.

Adam was silent and Danny continued.

“Look, my point here is that once this whole mess is settled, you two need to talk.”

He nodded slowly.

\--

An hour later Steve joined them in the waiting room.

“Any news?”

Adam shook his head.

“I’m sure we will hear something soon,” Steve held out a bag as he took a seat next to Adam. “and here’s a fresh shirt.”

He mumbled his thanks as he stripped out of the bloody shirt and put the new one on. Adam couldn’t help but stare at the shirt in his hand until Steve’s hand gently took it. Sinking back into his seat, Adam tried to clear his mind.

They all sat in anxious silence, startling when Hardison’s phone rang. He left the room and silence fell once again. Parker was fidgeting, never sitting in one position for more than a minute. Danny and Steve were on their phones, presumably in contact with the rest of the team, and when Hardison was in the room he was pacing incessantly, much to the chagrin of everyone else.

After one more excruciating hour, a doctor walked in and they all jumped to their feet.

“I have some updates on Mr. Riker.”

Adam couldn’t suppress the smirk on his face. Parker and Hardison had insisted that Eliot needed an alias to be checked into the hospital under, but “Willie Riker” definitely wasn’t the most subtle.

“He sustained a broken rib and a punctured lung due to trauma, which collapsed shortly after we brought him in. We did surgery to re-inflate the lung and he is stable. Given rest and proper treatment there hopefully should not be many complications. Mr. Riker also sustained a fractured orbital, which should also heal quite well, and a moderate concussion. We stitched up the worst of the cuts and bandaged the rest. The electrical burns were severe, but luckily there was no damage to internal organs. All in all, Mr. Riker is extremely lucky.”

A collective sigh of relief went around the room.

“When can we see him?”

\--

The first thing Eliot noticed as he woke up was that he was in pain. Every part of his body ached. As he attempted to sit up, a blinding pain flashed through his side.

“Easy, man.”

Eliot hadn’t even noticed Hardison and Parker standing next to him- he hated how medications always dulled his senses.

“I’m fine.” He rasped out.

“You are most definitely _not_ fine. You have a collapsed lung, a fractured orbital, a concussion, electrical burns, and enough stitches to make a damn quilt.”

“It’s not the worst I’ve ever had.”

“Eliot Spencer I am going to personally hurt you if you do not take this seriously.”

“Oh, I’d like to see you try.”

The banter was familiar, comforting to Eliot’s exhausted brain.

“Nah, I’ll just sic Parker on you.”

“Now that’s not fair. She’s too damn sneaky.”

Parker grinned brightly.

“Seriously, we’re glad you’re okay. You really scared us.” She said softly.

Eliot softened too.

“I know, Parker. But you knew I’d be fine. Someone’s gotta be here to take care of you two.”

They all smiled slightly at that, but it was also known how close Eliot was to _not_ getting out of there.

“I called Nate and Sophie. They’re gonna be here tonight.”

He groaned.

“Sophie is gonna be all worried and motherly.”

“You almost _died._ ”

Eliot’s mouth snapped shut. They were right.

“Speaking of motherly and worried, you got someone else who wants to see you.” Hardison gestured to the door. Adam raised his hand uncomfortably.

Parker and Hardison said their goodbyes and left as Adam walked in.

“Hey, how’re you feeling?”

“I’m alright, thanks to you.”

Adam blushed as he responded.

“Hey, it was a team effort. Your crew and Jerry did all the hard work, we were just the guns.”

“You know what I remember?” Eliot asked.

“No, what?” Adam responded, cocking his head.

“I remember you getting the guy and then gettin’ me loose,” he looked Adam in the eyes, “You know what else? I remember what your hands felt like. I remember how warm and gentle they were. I remember your eyes. I remember how caring they were. I-“

He took a deep breath.

“I remember how I felt safe. I don’t let my guard down, I can’t. But with you, I felt safe in a way that I haven’t in a long time.”

\--

Adam held his breath while Eliot talked. He couldn’t believe the words he was hearing.

“Eliot, I don’t know what to say. I, uh, I feel the same way. It’s been a long time since I’ve been comfortable being so open with someone. We’ve only known each other a couple of weeks, but I’d really like to get to know you better.”

Why was this so hard? He Adam felt like his heart was about to beat out of his chest.

“Come here.”

He slowly walked towards Eliot; each step more nervous than the last. Finally, he was sat in the chair next to Eliot’s bed.

Slowly, Eliot reached over with his good arm and wrapped it around the back of Adam’s neck.

He spoke in a whisper, “For real this time.”

Adam was pulled in for a kiss and it felt like nothing he’d ever experienced before. It was gentle and soft, but with a hint of Eliot’s stubble. As they broke apart, they heard cheering.

Turning towards the door they saw Parker, Hardison, Danny and Steve smiling and cheering. Hardison had his phone up and clearly was taking photos.

Eliot groaned and flopped back into his bed with a half-hearted “Damnit Hardison!” while Adam just blushed.

This was home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this story as much as I did writing it!! PLEASE comment or come check out my tumblr at mcgarrettsmusings!! Don't forget to read the epilogue and remember that I love you.


	9. Epilogue

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Just a sweet little epilogue to wrap it all up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Five months, 11,485 words, 25 word doc pages, SO MANY questionable google searches the NSA is definitely looking into, and a lot of hard work later, this fic is FINISHED!!! I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I did!

The days Eliot spent in the hospital were the most boring days of his life, though Adam was there as often as possible and Parker and Hardison made some… modifications to make his room more bearable.

Nate and Sophie had dropped by, which was nice, but each night when everyone left part of Eliot was glad. A man needs some peace and quiet.

Finally, it was time to be discharged, which was quite possibly Eliot’s new favorite day of the year. The whole 5-0 team was there to see him out, and while he wasn’t thrilled about being wheeled out in a wheelchair, he couldn’t deny the love he felt. He’d known these people for about a month and they’d managed to become family.

It had been decided that Eliot would stay at Adam’s while he healed, with Parker and the Leverage crew checking up on him throughout the day. Being babied was not something that Eliot Spencer ever enjoyed, but the love everyone was sharing was undeniable. If Nate and Sophie told him about their adventures, or Hardison brought new video games, or Parker brought chocolate, or Adam made sure he took his meds, to make him feel better, then the least he could do was be appreciative.

That night, as Eliot relaxed on the couch eating the delicious dinner Adam had made and listening to him tell a story about Tani and Junior, he felt at ease. As he countered with a story about Parker and Hardison, Eliot felt a warmth in his chest.

None of them knew what the future would hold, but they all knew it would be good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know I'm just a broken record begging for attention but I love you all so much and I hope you enjoyed this and leave a comment and maybe even check out my tumblr at mcgarrettsmusings.tumblr.com!
> 
> Thank you!

**Author's Note:**

> Please don't be afraid to comment or come talk to me at hearteyesmcgarrett on tumblr! I would love to hear what you think about this fic!


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